I Love You by Amanda Blank

Get ready for a full-on assault on the airwaves, led by fast-talking siren Amanda Mallory, aka Amanda Blank. Despite having done the rounds on the underground scene, the Philadelphia native is still anticipating her âbig breakâ, and her first long-playing album, I Love You, promises to deliver just that. Just like her album art, Blank is loud, garish and flamboyantly provocative, always keen to break the societal mould of a ârespectable young womenâ. Call her vulgar â or an advocate for sexual equality â whichever way you look at it, she definitely avoids indifference.

Her verbal artillery commences on the opening track âMake it, Take itâ, kicking the ball off rolling at a high-paced rotation. Loading guns punctuate the intro to âSomething Bigger, Something Betterâ, forging ahead with the militant motif. Before long, Amanda ambushes the microphone with the usual verbiage of empty threats, narcissistic rants and dollops of expletives. The backdrop is a mashed-up patchwork of sonic samples and ghettotech breakbeats, mirroring that of her cohort and sometime-collaborator M.I.A.

At times, Blank swaps her aggressive rap for more dance-oriented electronica, showcasing her surprisingly passable singing voice. Instant crushes include the hurt-so-good âDJâ (which reveals her more tender side) and the funktastic âLemme Get Someâ, featuring a slick cameo from Chuck Inglish, one-half of alternative hip-hop duo The Cool Kids. These two at least warranted repeated play on my stereo. Sheâs managed to enlist the forces of many other influential players in the club scene, such as the adorable Lykke Li and alt-rappers Spank Rock.

Never one to shy away from all things taboo and profane, itâs pretty clear that Amanda (or should I say, her mind) spent a lot of time in the gutter when writing the album. Her lyrics are littered with overtly promiscuous subject matter, which according to her devotees is simply a bold assertion of her own sexual liberty and empowerment â on the other hand, the prudes out there are more inclined to think sheâs just a dirty harlot.

Whether you see it as crass or sass, you canât deny the fact that Amanda Blank is evidence of the diversifying hip-hop market that is opening up beyond the mainstream formula upheld by Fitty, Notorius B.I.G. and various other T-something stage names. She is shaping the way for other creative artists to step forth and transcend the race and gender stereotypes of the hip-hop arena, and making some damn good tunes in the meantime.

Listen to While: Getting your feminist on as you get ready for a girlsâ night out.

Sounds Like: A younger, sassier Peaches hanging around the Baltimore Club in a fluorescent pink, leopard-print pantsuit.